This invention relates to insect repelling compositions having long lasting effectiveness against a wide variety of insects. More particularly, this invention relates to insect repelling compositions containing synergistic mixtures of an N-alkyl neoalkanamide, such as, N-methyl neodecanamide (MNDA) and N,N-diethylmeta-toluamide (DEET).
Many types of insects common in households, such as house cockroaches, are classified as pests, and much effort has been made to eradicate or at least to control them. Mosquito repellents have long been marketed and various chemicals that are effective in repelling roaches have been discovered. Typically, these chemicals and repellents are used in the household by applying or spraying them to surfaces of walls, floors, cabinets, drawers, packages, containers, rugs, upholstery and carpeting, and in potential nesting places for insects, such as inside walls and between floors.
N-lower alkyl neoalkanamides are well known and described in the patent literature as particularly efficacious insect repellent compounds. Indeed, the efficacy of these neoalkanamides, and in particular, N-methyl neodecanamide (MNDA) is underscored by the fact that they manifest longer lasting repellency effects than the well-known commercial all-purpose repellent N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide known commonly as "DEET". Included among the patents which describe these N-alkyl neoalkanamide insect repellents as well as processes for their manufacture and use are, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,006,562; 5,015,665; 5,143,900; 5,182,304; 5,182,305; 5,258,408; 5,391,578; and 5,434,189; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Notwithstanding the general effectiveness of N-alkyl neoalkanamides as insect repellents and the commercial success of DEET as the active component in numerous insect repellent sprays, efforts continue to be made to provide insect repellents which are capable of providing even greater repellency effects and for longer periods of time than those presently available, and even to be used in lesser quantity giving the same effect.